About our Extraction and Refinement

CO2

At SECRET NATURE we utilize Super Critical CO2 extraction methods in order to produce the highest quality CBD products. Our goal is to create cannabidiol extracts which are 100% pure and free of any foreign contaminants. All hemp plant material used in our extracts is grown 100% organically and pesticide free.

For our high-end vape pen products, we re-introduce real cannabis terpene profiles into our final product. We source our terpenes from the best cannabis growers in recreational markets across the USA. Terpene re-introduction increases the aroma and taste, while giving a similar experience to using recreational marijuana flowers and oils.

Distillation

A mature cannabis plant is known to contain hundreds of identifiable cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids, each responsible for playing a role in interacting with our endocannabinoid systems. Through what is widely referred to as “the entourage effect,” these compounds interact with one another to give us the unique experiences we desire. When it comes to creating cannabis concentrates, cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids are pulled from the vegetative material of the cannabis plant together though various extraction processes. In order to distill these compounds into their purest form, additional layers of refinement must be executed. This process is known as “fractional” or “short path distillation,” and it is known to produce single compound oils that can reach upwards of 99% purity.

Fractionation and short path distillation in and of themselves are nothing new. In fact, these methods have been used for many years, both in the early days of cannabis distillation research as well as in other commercial industries alike. For example, the fragrance and essential oil industries can be credited for piloting many of the same fundamental refinement principles that we see overlapping in today’s cannabis distillate manufacturing scene. Steam distillation as well as fractionation are two common techniques that have been adopted from the botanical oil extraction markets by cannabis processors to make various oil distillates. These techniques work specifically for cannabis in the same ways they would for other botanical refinement systems ranging from fragrances to cooking oils.

How Cannabis Compounds Are Isolated to Create Distillates

In order to isolate compounds such as CBD and THC into a pure and viscous oil, there are multiple layers of refinement that must first occur. Given that THC as well as other cannabinoids and terpenes are volatile and have varying boiling points, they must first be separated from the cannabis plant via CO2 solvent-based extraction. This process removes the valuable and volatile compounds from the plant itself, while many fats, lipids, and other compounds remain. This necessitates further refinement through a process called winterization, whereby a solvent is used in order to remove these undesirable compounds.

Apart from winterization, isolated cannabinoids must also undergo decarboxylation, by which the compounds are heated enough to activate their potential. Finally, the material is run through a short path steam distillation or rational distillation chamber in a series of multiple passes to purify the desirable compound (typically THC or CBD) to its isolated state.

Molecules such as THC and CBD have higher varying boiling points. Short path distillation uses vacuum pressure, steam, and heat to manipulate boiling points so that compounds are subjected to much cooler temperatures when they pass through. Depending on the distillation process, these volatile compounds can either be fractioned individually or simultaneously for collection. Through this process, volatile compounds are separated by their molecular weight and individual boiling point, leaving less volatile and undesirable compounds behind. A distillate may be passed through this process multiple times to create an even more pure substance. What remains in a THC/CBD distillation is a clear and translucent viscous sap that resembles ultra-refined honey in consistency and hue.

(leafly.com "Cannabis Oil Distillate: A Different Kind of Concentrate"PATRICK BENNETT, May 30, 2017)

Our mission is to provide the most unique, high-quality HEMP-CBD products in the world, an experience unique to our brand.

Some products on this site contain 0.3%THC or less.

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